“Our CFA and SES volunteers are indispensable to the safety of our local communities.

“The program has continued under successive governments. It is important particularly in country communities because it helps ease the burden of fundraising.”

Ms Ryan said despite the allocation of funding, Daniel Andrew's CFA crisis was still far from over.

“The disdain this Melbourne focussed government has shown for CFA volunteers can’t be reversed by a few equipment grants," Ms Ryan said.

“Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV), the representative for volunteers in the CFA dispute, expressed concerns at a parliamentary inquiry into fire season preparedness just last week that negotiations had “diminished” Victoria’s fire system preparedness and response capability,” Ms Ryan said.

“Daniel Andrews claims he has ‘fixed’ the CFA dispute, but in reality all he has done is create uncertainty and tension within Victoria’s fire services in the lead-up to fire season.

“The Premier’s willingness to trample on Victoria’s CFA volunteers and risk the safety of our communities to pay back the United Firefighters Union is difficult to comprehend.

“Daniel Andrews must fix the mess he has created before we get to the next fire season," Ms Ryan said.